Chetwyn Clarke

 Friday's Fabulous Flyer 

 Chetwyn Clarke

Chet Clarke's story is one of dedication and commitment, and he is a pilot to keep an eye on. He is giving back to the industry in the pursuit of safety. As first officer on the Dash 8 for LIAT, Chetwyn Clarke lives in Barbados and commutes to his base in Antigua.
 

While Chetwyn did his undergrad and primary flight training at Florida Tech, he interned with JetBlue's training department. I suspect this is where that passion for safety began. He tells me they like him enough they invited him back for the 1-year work experience opportunity on his student visa. 

Chet said, "It was a great opportunity, and I absolutely loved working within the American airline system. It is truly admirable: I love the access to information, the emphasis on education, the opportunity to further your education with courses and advanced degrees, the passion that persons in the industry have. I'm now working online with Embry-Riddle towards my master's, with specializations in Safety and Human Factors."

This is pretty exciting. I'm headed to ERAU myself and hope that Chet and I can do some important work together. But for now, please enjoy a great interview with a captain of the future!

Karlene:  How did you get interested in flying?
 

Chet: In Barbados, one of the pastimes on Sunday afternoons is to take your kids, park next to the fence at the end of the runway, and watch aircraft land.
 

When I was younger my mum would take me there, and I found it so fascinating watching plane after plane land, and that's where my interest in flying began. I had a friend whose Dad was an air traffic controller and after a few trips to the radar facility and the tower, I knew I wanted to be involved in the industry in some manner.

After having the opportunity to interact with pilots, and hearing about their experiences and, generally, the fun they had, I knew the flight deck was where I wanted to end up.

Since then, it's been an amazing journey.

Lisa and Chet

Karlene: Flying is all about safety... but what drew you to this aspect of aviation? Most pilots just want to fly. You're going that extra mile.

Chet:  During my undergrad we did a course on Aviation Safety, and we read through a fair amount of NTSB reports. Two things stood out: (a) it's amazing how accident investigators are able to work backwards from a mess of fragments on the ground and figure out what happened; and (b) there tended to be some common themes coming out of the reports. 

I don't know if the accidents we reviewed were purposely chosen by the professor because of that, but I started wondering: why is it that, even though we have access to all this information and past examples, we keep making the same mistakes. Why is that, and what can we do about it? I figured getting involved in safety would hopefully help me find some answers.

I'm trying to get my feet wet in safety, and right now I'm the liaison between the union and the company for the development of our FDM/FOQA program. Once that is up and running, it looks like I'll be one of the reps on the steering committee.

Karlene: So tell me about your FOQA involvement and flight development with that. How did it come about? Are you instrumental in bringing to the airline? Why?
 

Chet: FOQA/FDM was an initiative introduced by our safety department. The safety manager approached the pilots association about it, and asked for our input. I was appointed liaison for the union and developed a draft working agreement that was accepted by the Safety Department as well as the airline's management. 

We're just waiting on final approval by the union, and then we should be able to start analyzing data. Understandably, there is some concern amongst pilots on how the data will be used, but I think if both the union and the company work together, and trust each other, the program can be extremely beneficial. 

Karlene: One of the most asked questions today is..."Where do you see the future of Aviation?"

Chet: That's a tough question. I think the push for productivity has meant that the industry probably gets more out of pilots than in the past, but what I am afraid of is that we go to the extreme and push our flight crew too far, resulting in the degradation of quality of life and health. I think that's also pushed persons away from the industry, which isn't good for long term prospects. I think we need to get back to a point where the industry is one that is seen to be enjoyable, and worth getting involved in.

Karlene:  Is there hope for new pilots?

Chet: Speaking from my experience here in the Caribbean, it's difficult because we don't have many options if you want to fly professionally. We only have a handful of airlines, and they aren't currently expanding so new pilots find it very difficult to even get a start. I think if you are passionate about flying, and willing to put up with some tough patches, then there is hope.
 

It also helps to be surrounded by supportive people, especially your spouse and family. On the other hand, I think flying will continue to become more difficult on crews' personal lives, and once that continues, then it will be difficult to inspire future generations.

 

Karlene: Do you have any advice for our inspiring pilots?
 

Chet: The profession can be rewarding, and I think it's mostly what you make of it. Keep learning, and constantly seek to improve yourself. 

Chet...There is no Better Advice!!! Thank you for sharing your story. 

Please join me in encouraging Chet Clarke 

on a future of success. 

Enjoy the Journey!

XOX Karlene